A Magician in Gaea: Return of the Mistress of Magic
by TheNotoriousNovelist
Summary: Sequel of A Magician in Gaea, read that first. AU: A year after her trip to Gaea, it's time for the Mistress of Magic to return. Unfortunately, Zatanna's cousin, Zachary, was with her at the time and is sucked to Gaea too. Once there, they must help Zatanna's friends find other Gothamian survivors and rebuild Dick's country and culture. ON HIATUS
1. Prologue: In Love with You

**Sequel of A Magician in Gaea, based off Escaflowne: A Girl in Gaea.**

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**Ages:**

**Zatanna, 17.**

**Dick, 17.**

**Kaldur, 19.**

**Wally, 19.**

**Artemis, 18.**

**Raquel, 18.**

**Lena, 14.**

**Barbara, 16.**

**Other ages will be mentioned along the way.**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice or Escaflowne (I would if I could).**

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A Magician in Gaea: Return of the Mistress of Magic

Prologue:

In Love... with You

Zatanna sat on the swings in the park and gently pushed herself with the toe of her shoe. It was Summer Vacation and nearly a year since she had visited Gaea. If it weren't for Dick's astral projected visits, she would have thought it was a dream. Zatanna sighed, stood up on the seat and began to swing. It wasn't the same as being in Dick's arms and flying through the air. She was trying to commit what had happened down on paper but she wasn't very good at description (she was a C- student in English class). Zatanna closed her eyes as she swung and tried to imagine she was with Dick. Someone began swinging on the other swing and she looked to see who it was. At the arrival of Dick's astral projected self, she let go of the swing and went flying.

Zatanna opened her eyes and sat up. Dick's astral projection was crouching beside her. She sat up and looked around to see no one else around so she didn't have to worry about someone thinking she was crazy because she was the only one who could see him. He took her hand and the psychokinetic force that made him helped her to her feet.

"You're here," she said with tears in her eyes.

Dick nodded. It had been nearly 2 months since he had appeared to her and she was desperate to see him. They sat on the swings as Zatanna did the talking. Dick didn't know how to make an astral projection talk so he happily listened to her with a smile on his face.

"Bette won't get off my back! Whenever we have to work together she's all 'Zatanna do this', 'Zatanna do that', 'that's not how that goes', 'you can't do that', ugh! She's _such _a perfectionist!" Zatanna complained "Ever since I sung Fearless she's been on my back..." she sighed "So, Dick, how has Gotham's rebuilding coming?" she asked with a smile.

Dick shook his hand in a 'meh' gesture and looked at her. He reached over to stroke her hair out of her face but his astral projected hand went right through her. They both looked sad from being a dimension away from each other.

"I miss you, love," Zatanna said "I-I'm in love... with you," and she blushed.

There was a twinkle in his sapphire eyes and he nodded to show he loved her too. That's when the blonde-haired she-demon entered. Bette walked over to her and put her hands on her hips.

"Zatanna, you're 17-years-old and you're playing on the swings? I swear, I just heard you talking to yourself," she said.

Zatanna just looked at her with a blank expression on her face. Bette just went on and on and on at her and Zatanna looked to see Dick making a face at her. Zatanna giggled and Bette snapped her fingers to get her attention. Zatanna looked at her but Bette just huffed and walked away. Zatanna looked to Dick and smiled at him but he looked away as he experienced something on Gaea. He turned, smiled, waved goodbye and disappeared. Zatanna frowned and leaned against the swing chain. She pulled her necklace out and looked at it. She hadn't taken it off since Gaea to the protest of her gym teachers but it never got in the way or felt uncomfortable.

"I'm definitely less than whelmed," she said "I miss you, Dickie-bird,"

She looked at the sky where Gaea would be. Her necklace glowed and the other world appeared to only her. Seeing Gaea made Zatanna feel like it was closer than it was. She got off the swing and picked up her bag. She swung it over her shoulder and began walking to the housing estate she and her father had just moved into.

* * *

As Zatanna walked in, Zachary came rampaging into her. Zachary Zatara was her 12-year-old cousin on her father's side from Italy. He was staying with them while he went to middle school (and maybe high school) in America. Zatanna sighed and went up the stairs to her room. Last thing she wanted was to deal with the brattiness of Zach. Her father said he was just trying to adjust to a new country and, once he made friends, he'd be nicer but all the kids on the block thought Zach was weird.

Zatanna kicked off her sneakers, replied to an e-mail from Megan (she was vacationing with her family) and sat down on her bed. She lay back with her window open and the blind up so the Summer wind blew into her room. Her room was quaint. It was painted light green with her dresser and wardrobe taking up one wall and her bed and desk taking up another. Next to her bed was her nightstand and, next to that, was her bookcase. The bed was next to the window and the windowsill lined up with the mattress. Zatanna closed her eyes and began to think of Gaea and the beauty there she hadn't had time to enjoy. She listened to her wind chimes as she fell asleep...

_A bright beam of light shot down in front of her, causing her hair to whip around her. She walked towards it but... a voice... was calling her name in fright. Zatanna walked into the light and something crashed into her as it jumped into the light too..._

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	2. Chapter 1: The Return

A Magician in Gaea: Return of the Mistress of Magic

Chapter 1:

The Return

Zatanna sat on the floor of her bedroom. She began 12th grade in the morning and she needed something to relax herself. She opened her spell book from Gaea and looked for a relaxation spell. Zatanna yawned from being up late video chatting with Megan (because of the time difference) and was about to fall asleep.

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

Zatanna quickly shoved her spell book under her bed and got to her feet. The door opened and her father entered.

"Zatanna, honey, can you keep an eye on Zack? I need to go down to the theatre. Apparently, the levitation rig is broken and Jasmine is stuck in it," Giovanni said.

Giovanni Zatara was the owner of the Zatara Magic House of Mystery where amateur stage magicians could show off their skills. When it first opened and Mr. Zatara advertised for an assistant, a woman named Sindella showed up. The two fell in love and, a few years later, Zatanna was born but Sindella passed away when she was 6.

Zatanna sighed and looked over at a framed photo of her mother, her father and herself in front of the Zatara Magic House. She looked at him and nodded.

"A'right, Dad, I will," she said "But, I might have to tie him up to keep him still,"

Giovanni laughed but Zatanna wasn't joking.

* * *

"I'm hungry!" Zach yelled, banging his knife and fork on the table.

"Shut-up, will ya?! I'm reheating some lasagne so wait a minute!" Zatanna shouted.

She put the plate in the microwave and she began trying to figure out how to set it to leftovers. There was the sound of a chair scraping across the kitchen floor and some barefoot footsteps. Zatanna turned around to see Zachary was gone.

"Zach?" she wondered "Zachary?!"

The T.V in the living room turned on and Zatanna walked across the hall to it. Zach was sitting in front of the T.V and watching the last of a movie called Tales from Earthsea that he had paused earlier in the day. Zatanna sighed and walked over to him. She crouched down and tapped his shoulder.

"Hey, Zach? Aren't you hungry?" she asked him.

Zachary shrugged as he watched the screen. It was in Italian with English subtitles but was actually anime. Zach loved Studio Ghibli in ways only an obsessive 12-year-old could. He sniffed and looked at his older cousin.

"Do you smell burning?" he asked.

Zatanna was confused for a second before she remembered the microwave. She jumped to her feet and ran to the kitchen.

* * *

Zatanna dropped the plate of burned lasagne on the table and the two Zatara family members looked at each other. She sighed and lifted up a bag of marshmallows.

"You wanna make smores?" she asked and her cousin nodded in joy.

Zatanna turned on the stove and put a marshmallow on a fork for Zach. They kept the marshmallows over the fire as they turned golden brown. Zatanna put them on graham crackers and squirted chocolate sauce on them. She sandwiched more graham crackers on top and put them on a plate. Zach happily bounced around her as she carried them into the living room and they watched Tales from Earthsea together. When it was finished, Zach pressed play again so Zatanna let him watch it 'til he fell asleep or her father came home.

Zach got off the sofa and sat on the floor. Zatanna lay down on the sofa and blinked... just blinked... and she woke-up 2 hours later!

Zachary was asleep on the floor with the menu for Tales from Earthsea on the screen. Zatanna got up, turned off the T.V and picked her cousin up.

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Zatanna awkwardly walked up the stairs to the second floor with Zach in her arms. She went down the hall to his room and put the 12-year-old boy down in his bed. As she tucked him in, she looked out the window at the woods behind the house. A white beam shot down from the sky. Zatanna looked at it and smiled with tears in the corners of her eyes.

Zach opened his eyes and sat up. He looked out the window and saw the beam of light in the distance. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the garden. Zatanna was running towards the back gate!

"Cousin Zee?" Zach asked.

He got out of bed and headed to the door. He was still wearing his day clothes as he ran into the hallway.

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Giovanni walked into his house to hear the back door slammed shut. He looked out the window and saw Zachary running to the bottom of the garden. He ran outside to follow his nephew and heard Zach yelling "Zatanna!".

* * *

Zatanna ran through the woods to the light beam. If this trip to Gaea was like the last, she'd be home before sunrise. She heard someone calling her name but she was desperate to return to Gaea... to Dick.

"Zatanna! Where are you going?!"

"Zachary! You should be in bed! Where's Zatanna?!"

Zatanna began to pant as she ran but she was scared of the light going if she stopped. Zachary was close behind her and Giovanni was on their tail. Zatanna fell to her knees when she reached the clearing and looked up at the light beam. She smiled as her necklace began to glow. She heard Zachary catching up to her and she got to her feet.

The light reflected off her eyes and her hair whipped around her shoulders. She began walking towards the light just when Zach reached her.

"Zatanna! Stay away from that thing!" he shouted "You don't know what it is!"

"Don't worry, Zach, I know what it is," she called back to him "It's a Pillar of Light used to travel between worlds... I'm going to another world for a little bit but I'll be back soon,"

Zachary ran towards her as she walked into the light. Zatanna stood in the middle of the light and her hair flew upwards. Despite being afraid, Zach jumped in and tackled her. Zatanna stumbled at the impact and the light took them away.

Giovanni ran into the clearing to see nothing. He looked around and saw a shooting star in the sky.

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**Gaea:**

Dick sat by the fire and watched Barbara devour a piece of meat like a wolf. It was a miracle there was another Gothamian survivor and, soon, they'd leave to find more. They were working on reabilitating Barbara back into civilization and Dinah Lance from Central was there to help. Dinah was actually there to help two people. Regrettably, there were a few countries in Gaea that still sold people as slaves. Some slavers were trying to cut through Gotham to sell some slaves but Dick wasn't happy with this and freed the two slaves. A 10-year-old boy named Jason Todd and a 7-year-old boy named Timothy Drake. Jason died from malnutrition a few days later but Timmy survived and was sticking around. Timmy was from a country where the number of daughters measured a man instead of sons so when his family needed money they sold Timmy into slavery at a young age. He had 7 sisters (older and younger) but he couldn't remember their names anymore.

"Hey, Timmy, here," said Dick, passing him some bread "Eat up,"

Timmy took it and bit into it. He was so scrawny as if he was 5 rather than 8.

"L-Lord D-Dick? H-How old are y-you?" Timmy stammered.

"17, 18 this Winter," he said "I don't look it, eh?"

"You look thin enough to be 15," Timmy said, quietly "But, you are tall enough,"

"Malnutrition at a young age, it gets us all," Dick said, eating some of the grey slop they called food "I once spent two weeks living in a forest all alone when I was 7,"

Timmy looked up at the Dragon King from where he sat on the ground. Dick had given him some clothes to wear so they dressed similarly. Timmy wore some black shorts and a red t-shirt with long black sleeves and some black boots. Out of an old animal pelt, Timmy had fashioned himself a fur-lined cloak for when it was cold. He took his cloak and curled up in it to sleep. Dick got up and walked over to his tent. He turned to look around the camp when he saw a Pillar of Light off in the distance.

Could it be? Was she back? Pillars of Light were used to travel across worlds like Gaea and the Mystic Moon... so had Zatanna returned?

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	3. Chapter 2: Reunited at Last

**To clear up the timeline, here it is! **

**The talent show Zatanna was in was to celebrate the beginning of Summer Vacation and this story is over a year later so it's 1 year plus 3 months because it's at the end of Summer Vacation.**

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A Magician in Gaea: Return of the Mistress of Magic

Chapter 2:

Reunited at Last

Zatanna opened her eyes and gasped in a breath. She looked around to see she was in a tent.

"Zatanna?"

She sat up and looked at the tent entrance. She smiled and her eyes sparkled with joy. Dick! He entered the tent and knelt beside the cot she was on. Zatanna looked at him in amazement. It was really him, not an astral projection, him! She was so overjoyed that she couldn't speak. Dick looked worried at her and waved his hand in front of her face.

"Zatanna? Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

Tears began to slide down her face and she hugged him while crying. Dick was surprised at first but gently smiled and hugged her back.

"I missed you so much..." Zatanna wept "Seeing you as an astral projection isn't the same as being with you,"

Dick rubbed her back in comfort as she let it all out. She leaned back and looked at him. He cupped her cheek in his hand and she leaned into his touch. Zatanna was so relieved to be with him again.

"Don't worry, Zee, like you always say," Dick said "We'll always be by each other's side,"

Zatanna smiled at him and had a proper look at him. He was taller and less scrawny but he was still thin and he still had a lean build. His raven-black hair was longer and even messier and his blue eyes had glimmers of hope for Gotham's future. Behind him was his permanent white wings but they seemed smaller (they weren't fully extended).

Dick smiled back at her and saw how she had changed. Her raven-black hair was longer now and she was taller. Her skin was tanned from a vacation to Italy to visit her uncle (and pick up her cousin) and her sky-blue eyes still brought joy to his heart.

They had both changed over the past year and 1/3 but still loved each other with all their hearts. Zatanna's dragon heart necklace began to glow but stopped when they heard a scream.

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Zach stumbled out of his tent and Lena followed him. She was confused. Dick had told her to check on him when he woke-up. Unknown to them all, Zach didn't know about Gaea or its array of sentient beings. Zatanna and Dick left the tent they were in and found Zachary cowering from Lena just standing there with a confused look.

"Where am I?!" Zach yelled "Zatanna, where are w-what the heck?!"

He had just noticed Dick's wings and he fell to the ground. Zatanna approached him, gesturing for her friends to stay back.

"Zachary... you're in another world," she said, kneeling beside him "It's called Gaea and its filled with magic,"

"Wh-What are th-they?" Zach stammered.

"There are more than one sentient species' here," Zatanna said "Humans, cat-people, wolf-people and more,"

"What's he?" her cousin asked, pointing at Dick.

"He's Draconian, a descendant of the Dragon clan," she said, looking back at him "Everyone here fought in a 11 year long war that I helped end just over a year ago,"

"You're safe here, kid, no one here will hurt you," said Dick "I'm Dick and the catgirl is my foster sister, Lena,"

There was a rustling and a redheaded girl bounded out of the trees like a deer with a chunk of raw meat in her teeth. She curled up like a wolf and began eating it by ripping chunks off with her teeth.

"Who's that?" Zatanna asked.

"Oh, right," said Dick "Zatanna, that's Barbara Gordon. She's a native Gothamian like me and Lena. She was the daughter of the Head of Gotham's National Security,"

"Was she raised by wolves or something? She seems feral," Zatanna asked.

"Barbara spent the last 12 years living in the cave system," Dick explained "We found her trying to steal our food,"

Barbara looked at Zatanna and growled. She picked up her meat with her teeth and ran up a tree like a squirrel. Zatanna looked around the camp and saw a wagon with supplies stacked up.

"Going somewhere?" she asked, walking over to the wagon.

"Zee, it's time you learn another prophecy about yourself," said Dick.

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After the others returned from... something... they all sat around the unlit fire pit and Dick introduced Timmy to Zatanna and Zachary. Zach was still scared of the whole situation but was releaved when humans arrived.

"It is said the Mistress of Magic will undo destruction which may refer to you helping us," said Kaldur "We're trying to help rebuild Dick's country and we suspect there were more Gothamian survivors,"

Zatanna looked over at Barbara as Dinah tried to teach her proper English.

"We have no idea how to find them," said Artemis "We could do with some help from you,"

"Well, I have been working on my magic," Zatanna said "I might be able to track them one at a time, just give me a map of Gaea,"

They looked at Wally and he took a rolled up map out of his satchel. He passed it along and it was given to Zatanna to look at.

The rebellion had grown as well. Kaldur's short blonde hair was shaven at the sides, Artemis's hair was shorter, Raquel's hair was more tamed and Wally had lost half his freckles. Timmy was an adorable little boy with chubby cheeks, nobbly knees and big blue eyes. The thought he was a slave was horrible.

Zach had convinced himself that it was all a dream from eating too many smores. If it was real then he wouldn't let them take him in like they had with his cousin. Zatanna was actually convinced she was in a prophecy and had magic power! Insane...

Zatanna looked at the map of the continent they were on (there was yet to be a map of all the landmasses on Gaea) and she began studying the countries picked out with black lines. She took off her necklace for the first time in a year and spread the map out on the ground. Dick put rocks on each corner to keep it still for her and they all watched her. Zatanna held the necklace over the map and it began swinging like a pendulum.

"Dnif evitan snaimahtoG, gnidulcxe ckiD nosyarG, arabraB nodroG dna aneL enyaW," she said.

The point at the bottom of the cap on the gem/dragon heart pointed at a spot at the very edge of the continent. A town name seemed to burn into the map but it was written in Gaean.

"What does that mean?" Zatanna asked.

"Says Quagmire in Gaean," said Dick "I might be wrong, I'm more adept at reading Gothamian, the language of my country,"

Everyone on Gaea knew two languages. Their country's language and then Gaean which was used to talk to people around the world. Zatanna rolled up the map and stood up.

"Well, then, we know where to go to reunite Dick's people," she said with determination.


	4. Chapter 3: The Search Begins

A Magician in Gaea: Return of the Mistress of Magic

Chapter 3:

The Search Begins

Zatanna changed into a Gaean outfit so not to attract attention to the group. A black short-sleeved knee-length dress with a violet belt around her waist, a violet cloak-and-hood, violet tights and black flat pumps. She was dressed like a Gaean sorceress so it wouldn't be a surprise if she used her powers in public. Zachary was refusing to change into Gaean clothes but Zatanna forced a cloak over him so he could hide his Earthen outfit. They went over some last-second plans and decided a wagon was too clunky and they should just ride horses with necessary provisions in saddle bags. Zach had to sit behind Lena since he didn't know how to ride. Zatanna was quite happy with sitting behind Dick and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

They began on their way out of the forest. It was decided a small group was better than a large one so only Dick, Zatanna, Zachary, Lena, Barbara and Timmy were going. The others were left to watch over Gotham.

Soon after leaving the forest, they headed up a mountain range where there was a desert to the North. Zatanna, her arms around Dick's torso, looked down at the forest beneath them. There was a cleared patch where construction was occurring for the rebuilding of Gotham.

"This is really uncomfortable!" Zach complained "My butt hurts!"

"Zachary Zatara, if you don't shut-up then I'll leave you here when it's time to go back to Earth," Zatanna threatened.

Zach shut his mouth after that but he made it obvious he wasn't happy. Lena wasn't happy either with having the bratty Zach on the same horse as her.

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As they rode along the top of the mountain range, Zatanna was horrified to see an entire valley of black ash. There were burned buildings and the smell of death came from it. Zatanna was creeped out by it and held on tighter to Dick.

"What is that?" she asked him.

"Gotham," he said with no emotion in his voice "In memory of those who died that day, we decided to leave the ruins rather than rebuild on top of it,"

Zatanna looked at him and reassuringly hugged him from behind. It struck her that Dick's wings, despite their large size, could fold up incredibly small against his back and be hidden with a cloak. He had black bandages wrapped around his torso to keep his wings back and his cloak was black with a yellow interior and a hood.

Zatanna looked forward to see a vast desert on the other side of where the mountain range split into two directions. She did a quick spell to keep them all cool while they crossed the desert. When they came to where the mountain range split, it was a sheer drop down so they had to go out of their way to find a way down.

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It was late at night when they found a way down so they decided to set up camp. Zach was complaining about how hard the ground was despite everyone else being fine with it. Dick took a leather pouch out of a saddle bag and uncorked it. He took a drink before passing it around the group. Timmy took a gulp and passed it to Zachary.

"What is it?" Zach asked.

"Water, aren't you thirsty?" Timmy asked.

Zach gulped it down but was unaware they had to ration it until they reached a water source and he finished it.

"Zach!" Zatanna shouted at him "That was suppose to last!"

"Well, I was thirsty! And I swear I have a fever! So, really, I needed it more!" Zach said, crossing his arms.

Zatanna put the back of her hand against his forehead.

"You don't have a fever, boy, you're just hotter from the heat," she said, taking a bite from the rodent on a spit she was cooking.

Everyone was cooking some kind of rodent on a stick. Zatanna was, at first, hesitant but Dick coaxed her into it and she found it delicious. Zach was refusing to eat it and wrinkled his nose when he saw Lena and Barbara eat theirs while it was still alive and struggling.

"Zach, if you're not going to eat that then give it to Timmy, he needs the calories," said Dick.

Zach passed it to Timmy and he chomped it down. Timmy was still suffering from malnutrition so he still had to eat extra food. Hopefully, he'd regain his health.

* * *

Dick stood near the edge of the ledge they were camping on. The desert winds were blowing and the Moon and Mystic Moon glowed in the night sky. He took off his cloak and undid the bandages around his torso. His white wings stretched out to their full wingspan and Dick jumped off the edge. He went flying into the sky and glided across the desert just to stretch his wings.

Zatanna was sitting at the edge and watched her boyfriend fly as his white wings glowed in the distance. Dick was like an angel to her as he flew through the air. She smiled at him and he came back. Dick flapped his wings to stay in one place and he hovered by the ledge. Zatanna got to her feet and stood just a few feet away from him. Dick smiled and extended his hand to her. She smiled back and took it. He pulled her into his arms bridal style and flew off.

"I missed flying with you," Zatanna said as she hovered out of his arms and held his hands.

Two golden wings spread out from her back and she began flying on her own beside him. Dick laughed and flew further up. Zatanna followed with a peaceful smile on her face. Maybe they shouldn't have left the camp but they were just spreading their wings.

* * *

Zachary wasn't sleeping either. The ground was too hard and he made sure everyone knew he thought so. He was cold too so he sat closer to the fire and put more fire wood in to make it bigger. Zach looked out at the desert and saw Dick and Zatanna flying! Of course, Zatanna was taken in even more by these people. He was about to put another log on the fire when Lena grabbed his wrist.

"You shouldn't be burning that much firewood," she said "We'll need it when we're in the desert where there isn't any trees to get wood from,"

Zach pulled his arm away and pouted. He hated this place. He couldn't even remember the name! Jaya, Maia, Lya... Gaea?


	5. Chapter 4: Into the Desert

A Magician in Gaea: Return of the Mistress of Magic

Chapter 4:

Into the Desert

Zachary had only just gotten to sleep when Zatanna woke him. The Sun was rising from the Northwest and everyone was awake. Zach groaned and sat up.

"Why's everyone up?" he asked.

"We're heading into the desert before it gets too hot," Zatanna said, standing up from kneeling beside him "Get up and help pack everything up,"

Zachary wrinkled his nose and lay back down. He was sure he could get some more sleep. He didn't intend to take anything from these people so why help them?

Zatanna sighed as she saw him go back to sleep. She got back on her knees behind Dick and helped him tie his bandages around his torso to hide his wings. Timmy was eating a snack to help him regain nutrition and Zach, his tummy rumbling, thought those berries didn't look disgusting.

"Hey, Jimmy-"

"Timmy,"

"Whatever... Can I have some of those berries?"

"Well..." Timmy put some in his mouth "Barbara gave them to me and said to eat every last one,"

"C'mon, just a few? I gave you my rat/squirrel/thing last night," Zach said, reaching out to him.

"Dick made you. He doesn't like wasting food because he knows what it's like to be starved nearly to death," Timmy said but he was a kind soul "Here," and he put a few in Zachary's hand.

Zach wasn't pleased with the amount but ate them anyway. He dramatically coughed as he swallowed them to show he hated them.

Zatanna scowled at her cousin as he took food from someone who _ needed _ it more. Barbara and Lena returned from hunting and prepared the dead animals so they'd turn into jerky from the Sun exposure. Everyone was doing their part... except Zach!

* * *

The Sun began to rise as they rode through the desert. Timmy didn't want to ride bareback with Barbara again so was sitting on Zatanna's lap while she sat sidesaddled behind Dick. Lena had threatened to poison Zachary so he was sitting behind Barbara and was too scared of the feral girl to complain around her. As they went, Zatanna noticed red marks around Timmy's wrists that were partially covered by his long sleeves. She looked at them and saw Timmy's past in a clairvoyant vision...

_Shackles. There was a chain attached to the shackle around his neck that was attached to the chain between his wrists. His ankles were shackled together by chains also. His attire was a raggedy old dress with no shoes so his feet were blue with cold. On the other side of the wagon he was in was another boy, a few years older, who was also being sold._

Zatanna hugged Timmy even tighter after seeing his past. He smiled up at her and took his berries from his pocket. He ate one and offered Zatanna one. She took one between her fingers and ate it. They laughed and Timmy offered Dick one. Dick turned around and took one before ruffling Timmy's hair. Zach saw how they only took one out of courtesy and how Timmy had offered. He began feeling a bit bad from taking food from him but shook his head of the thought.

"Hey, big brother?" Lena said, riding up beside him "Should I hide my cat features yet?"

"Why would you hide your cat features?" Zatanna asked.

"We're going to be passing through a city with a slave market and cat-people are the most common slave," explained Dick "Zee, mind flying up and seeing how far we are from the city?"

Zatanna put Timmy into Dick's arms and she jumped off, her golden wings spreading out from her back. She flapped and saw a city about 10 miles away. She took a closer look and saw a group of people on horses heading their way. Zatanna glided back down and landed on the back of Dick's horse.

"There's some people coming!" she said, her wings disappearing as the feathers were swept away in the wind.

Lena brought her horse to a stop and pulled some things from a saddle bag. She pulled a black hat over her ears, black trousers over her legs to hide her markings there, a black cloak to hide her tail and the markings on her upper arms, black fingerless gloves to hide her markings on her lower arms and a black scarf to hide her face. It was a lot of black but it was evened out by her red dress. Lena jumped back on her horse and acted like nothing had happened. Zatanna took Timmy back from Dick and held him as he cowered. He was so scared if it was slave traders coming to take him.

The strangers reached them and circled them. Barbara stood up on the back of her horse and growled at them. Zach nervously tried to lean away from her. Timmy curled up tighter on Zatanna's lap and she pulled her violet cloak around him to help him feel protected.

"So, what do we have here?" their leader said "A group of juveniles crossing the desert,"

"What do you want?" Dick asked.

"We're just looking for some of our property," said the man "My name is Count Vertigo,"

Timmy hugged Zatanna tighter as he recognized the voice. He slid off her lap and curled up beside her with her cloak completely hiding him. Zatanna kept her arm around him for reassurance.

Timmy couldn't hear everything they said through the cloak but a man with white hair and a weird headset looked through the gap in Zatanna's cloak. He hugged the Mistress of Magic tighter until Count Vertigo reached in and pulled him out.

"Let go of me!" Timmy cried as he was held above the ground by his shirt.

"Let him go!" Dick said, jumping off his horse and drawing his sword.

Count Vertigo raised one eyebrow and smirked.

"That sword is of the Dragon clan," he said "So, that's who you are... Lord Richard,"

"I said, let Timmy go!" Dick said "Or I'll cut your hand off!"

"Well, why would the King of Gotham want such a pitiful slave?" Count Vertigo asked.

Dick glared at him and remembered something Draconians could do... Vow.

"I, Richard John Grayson, Last Dragon King of Gotham and son of Dragon King John Grayson and Queen Mary Grayson of Gotham hereby vow to protect Timothy Jackson Drake at the risk of my own life! He is hereby under the protection of the Gray Son bloodline of the Dragon clan!" Dick recited.

Count Vertigo dropped Timmy and he scrambled behind his new Dragon Protector.

"Your vow to protect the boy will be broken," Count Vertigo said, mounting his horse "And your power with it,"

* * *

Later that night, they sat around the fire in their camp. They'd decided to try and stay out of the city so were spending the night in the ruins of a building that only had the floor and two walls left.

"Are you sure you want to seal your vow, Lord Dick?" Lena asked "You know what will happen if you break it,"

"I'm sure, Lena," Dick said "You ready, Timmy?"

"I... guess," Timmy said.

Zatanna didn't like it either. She had read about Dragon Vows in her spell book. It wasn't just words, it was a blood pact between the protector and the protectee. In the event Dick broke his Dragon Vow to protect Timmy, his Draconian powers would disappear and leave him human. There was actually a Dragon Vow between Dick and Zatanna. She was the first person he revealed his wings to (everyone else knew of them but hadn't seen them) and, at the same time, he vowed his allegiance to her. If he broke either one, he would lose everything that made him the Dragon.


	6. Chapter 5: By Blood and Fire

A Magician in Gaea: Return of the Mistress is Magic

Chapter 5:

By Blood and Fire

Dick drew his sword and looked at his reflection in the stainless metal. He carfully pricked Timmy's finger with the tip of the blade before slicing it across his hand so his own blood was on the sword. Their blood mixed together and ran across the blade to reveal spiralling patterns in the metal that weren't there before. Timmy was holding a handkerchief to his pricked finger and he watched Dick reach into the fire. The fire jumped into his hand and he clenched his hand with embers glowing between his fingers.

"Ready?" he asked.

Timmy nodded. Dick took his hand in his and the fire swirled around their hands like fiery rope. Zatanna sat beside them, mediating the sealing, but she still wasn't happy.

"I, Richard John Grayson, Last Dragon King of Gotham and son of Dragon King John Grayson and Queen Mary Grayson of Gotham, hereby vow to protect Timothy Jackson Drake at the risk of my own life. He is hereby under the protection of the Gray Son bloodline of the Dragon clan," Dick repeated.

"I, Timothy Jackson Drake, accept your protection in hopes I will not need it," Timmy said.

The fiery rope wrapped around their hands burned around their palm and wrist to leave a mark that resembled a dragon on both of them. Burning drops of blood dripped onto Dick's sword and sealed the Vow in the Nth metal. They let go of each other's hand and the sword returned to its natural state.

"There," said Dick "Now, I'm obliged to protect you or lose my powers,"

Zatanna looked at the dragon marking on Dick's left hand and she got to her feet. She walked away and wiped tears from her eyes. No one had said it but breaking a Dragon Vow only took Draconian abilities 50% of the time. The other 50%... it killed the Draconian.

* * *

Zatanna sat down in the sand and her hair floated in the wind. She didn't want Dick to die and he couldn't possibly protect Timmy for the rest of his life! He had vowed to do her bidding but they hadn't sealed it. Zatanna was curled up with her head on her knees when she felt an arm be put around her. She looked at the arm around her and saw a dragon marking on it. She turned and looked at Dick.

"Zee... I know you're against me sealing my Dragon Vow but, with it sealed, I'll be able to tell if he's in trouble," he said "I'd happily seal my vow to do your bidding,"

"No! I don't want you making Dragon Vows!" Zatanna cried "You could die if you break even one!"

"Or be turned human," Dick said "It's a risk I'm happy to take and it's possible to undo a sealing,"

"Yes but it's nearly impossible," she said "Your Dragon Vow to do my bidding may not be sealed but I'm telling you not to Vow anymore," she wrapped her arms around his neck "Please, sweetheart? I don't want to lose you,"

Dick bit his bottom lip before smiling at her.

"Alright, love, I won't make another vow except for the following," he said "I, Richard John Grayson, Last Dragon King of Gotham and son of Dragon King John Grayson and Queen Mary Grayson of Gotham hereby vow to love you, Zatanna Zatara, and only you as long as the stars exist in the night sky,"

Zatanna smiled at him and they hugged each other. Dick held her in his arms when she went limp. He looked at her. She was asleep. He smiled and lifted her up bridal style to carry back to camp.

* * *

Dick looked up at the Mystic Moon as he watched over the group. He looked at the mark on his hand. The dragon was black with red shadowing and wrapped around his wrist with its head on his palm. Dick looked into a bag and took out a pair of gloves. They were black, cut around the knuckles and a hole in the side for the thumb.

"Hope I'm making you proud, Mother, Father," he said "I'm trying to rebuild Gotham but... I'm only 17... I wish you were here to help me,"

Dick yawned and rubbed his eyes. He would have liked to go to sleep but he was on guard duty since they were so close to the city. There was something he was keeping from Zatanna. When he said he'd do her bidding as the Mistress of Magic, he had been bleeding and the blood had touched Zatanna's skin. Because of this, his Dragon Vow was half-sealed. Dick hadn't even said the vow right at the time.

"I, Richard John Grayson, Last Dragon King of Gotham and son of Dragon King John Grayson and Queen Mary Grayson of Gotham, hereby vow to do the bidding of Zatanna Zatara in the name of the Mistress of Magic," he said to himself.

He looked over at the sleeping Zatanna. One drop of her blood on his sword and/or skin and the Dragon Vow would be sealed. He didn't intend to force it on her, he loved her.

Dick leaned against the wall of the ruins and thought of the different marks a Draconian got for different Dragon Vows. The markings on his upper arms were from vowing to be King of Gotham when he was crowned. He sighed and involuntarily fell asleep.

* * *

Zach opened his eyes after a few hours of sleep and sat up. He looked around to see Zatanna curled up in her sleeping bag, Lena laying against a rock like a panther, Barbara curled up on a ledge in the wall, Timmy sleeping peacefully in his sleeping bag and Dick leaning against the wall as he slept. He saw a saddle bag and he crawled over to it. Inside was some meat, eggs and a pan for cooking. Zach licked his lips and was about to eat something when he looked at the camp. Something called a _conscious _began wriggling into his heart and he began feeling guilty. He sighed and got to work.

The others woke-up to the smell of something cooking and saw Zach cooking over the fire. He seemed annoyed he was doing something for them and not for himself.

"Zach? What are you doing?" Zatanna asked, yawning.

As she stretched her arms above her head, Zachary slid a plate of bacon and eggs over to her. He passed everyone a plate of breakfast without saying a word before taking a plate himself and eating.

"This is good," Timmy said, chomping down the extra food he was given for nutrition.

"If you can cook, Zach, why was I making you dinner?" Zatanna asked.

"My mom taught me before she died," Zack said, sadly.

Zatanna had forgotten his mother was dead despite the fact she had to go to Italy for the funeral when she was 13 and he was only 8. It seemed to be a recurring pattern since her own mother had passed away before she was 10.

* * *

** Please review!**

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	7. Chapter 6: The City and Its Secrets

A Magician in Gaea: Return of the Mistress of Magic

Chapter 6:

The City and Its Secrets

Timmy held Dick's hand and stuck by his side as the group headed through the city. The sight of the slave market was horrible for him so he was hidden within Dick's cloak. Zack, having refused to change clothes, held the edges of his cloak around him to hide what he was wearing. Barbara wanted to crouch down and prawl like an animal and Lena was uncomfortable under the clothes that hid her cat-features. Zatanna had her arm hooked with Dick's on the side Timmy wasn't hiding. Dick knew his way through the city somehow and took them to a market.

"Changed your mind on your clothes, Zachary?" he asked with a pleasant smile.

Zack looked at the people around him and began to consider the offer. He wasn't going to be pulled in like Zatanna (he was still on that) but, if he dressed like them, they wouldn't know he didn't belong! He nodded and Dick turned to the vendor. The Last Dragon King looked through a pile, took a bundle of clothes out and passed the vendor some silver coins. Dick passed the folded up clothes to Zack.

"Here, these should do you just fine," he said "C'mon, we better get going,"

* * *

They bought some supplies as they went through the market. They came to a quiet fountain and took a break. Zachary went behind a tree and bushes and changed into his Gaean clothes. He walked out of hiding and the others looked at him. He wore a dark blue tunic with a brown belt around his waist, black trousers tucked into brown boots and a new black cloak. Timmy also had a new cloak to be worn to hide himself.

"You're looking Gaean," Lena said "But, isn't that a girl's cloak?"

"What?!" Zack exclaimed in embarrassment.

"She's kidding, Zack," Dick said "No one will be able to tell you're from the Mystic Moon,"

Zatanna sighed and pulled her hood down. The wind blew and her hair floated from under her cloak. Dick put his hand on her shoulder and she looked at him with a smile on her face. Zatanna rested her head on his shoulder and they looked out at the city below them.

"What's up with them?" Zack asked the others.

Barbara jumped down from the top of the fountain and crouched like an animal.

"The Mistress of Magic is the Dragon King's prospective mate," she said and sniffed "They smell of it,"

"Translation?" Zack asked.

"Your cousin is dating Lord Dick and Barbara can smell the pharamons people in love excrete," Lena explained.

Timmy felt his tummy gurgle as he became hungry and Barbara passed him some jerky. He took it and began eating. Barbara seemed protective of him like a wolf mother to her pup. There was a chance that's how she saw him because he was so young and frail.

"C'mon, it's time to head back to camp," Dick said with his arm around Zatanna's shoulder "We're going to be travelling around the edge of the city to avoid the populace,"

He couldn't explain it but he had the feeling they were being watched. It crept up his spine and up his neck to the point he had to look turn around to see if someone was there.

* * *

"Why are we spying on them, boss?" Bane asked.

Count Vertigo and his slavers were watching the group as they went on their way. He watched through a telescope as Dick looked to see if they were being spied on.

"Because, Bane, Lord Richard is the King of a country," he said "Gotham, to be exact, and Gotham is a Dragon clan ruled country,"

"But, that means, he's a Draconian?" Bane asked.

"The rarest species in Gaea," Count Vertigo said, smirking "and I'm willing to bet that girl is the Mistress of Magic,"

* * *

The group headed back to their camp and mounted their horses to head around the edge of the city. After a few hours, the city was behind them. Timmy was yawning and went to sleep in Zatanna's arms. The thought of the people in the slave market upset her. She couldn't believe there was legal slavery on Gaea and, to add to it, little Timmy was once in the middle of it.

After a few more hours, it was pitch black but Zatanna heard something from behind. She turned around to see, what looked like, horses on the horizon. She rubbed her eyes and squinted for a better look. They were horses! Zatanna looked to Barbara. The feral girl stood out in the darkness by the white of her clothes. She wore a brown dress that went down to her knees with a white tunic on top, a white wolf pelt around her shoulders like a cloak, a dark brown leather belt and a dark brown leather band around her head. Barbara's long hair was cut to reach her shoulder blades and had a lock threaded with beads.

"Dick, do you hear that?" Zatanna asked her boyfriend.

"Yes, I have the hearing of a hawk," Dick said.

With a crack of the reins, their horse sped up and Lena and Barbara followed his lead. Within moments, the other horses were on their tail and they were galloping across the sands. Timmy, having been woken up, looked over Zatanna's shoulder and saw it was slavers coming after them. The dragon mark around Dick's wrist began to burn and he knew he had to get Timmy out of danger. He looked over at Barbara and they both nodded at each other.

"No matter what, don't stop," he said.

Dick got to his feet on the saddle and leaned out of the way for Zatanna to take the reins. He made sure she had it before backflipping off the horse and falling into one of their pursuers. Barbara sprung from her horse and pounced like a jaguar.

Dick drew his sword and, in the process, sliced it across the slaver's chest. Barbara grabbed a slaver by the neck and tossed him away as if he was nothing. Dick stared at Count Vertigo and released a psychokinetic blast only for him to dodge it. Bane reached over and wrapped his arm around Dick's neck in a headlock then pulled him off the horse he was balancing on. Dick pulled at Bane's arm as he dangled above the ground.

"Quit messing around and give in," Bane said.

Dick's face went red and his folded up wings tried to stretch out as he went limp. Bane threw the boy over his shoulder and headed back to the city. Dick groaned as his head spun.

Barbara jumped to another horse and kicked the slaver in the face only for him to grab her ankle. He threw her off the horse and dragged her along the ground. Barbara growled at him, pulled her dagger out and cut the saddle strap. The slaver fell off and Barbara tumbled into the sand. She got to her feet and sprinted after the slavers with the speed of a cheetah.

Count Vertigo reached down and picked her up off the ground by her hair. Barbara struggled until he hit her with the hilt of his sword.

* * *

Zatanna wasn't sure what she was doing but the horse was running forward so she must have been doing something right. Lena and Zack were beside her on their horse. Zatanna looked back to see Dick and Barbara being carried back to a caged in wagon.

"No!" she shouted and tried to get her horse to turn around.

Dick and Barbara were captured! They couldn't be! Were they going to be sold as slaves?

* * *

**Deleted Scene:**

**Dick pushed his horse to the animal's limits as they were chased through the Unclaimed Desert (named so because it belonged to no county). The slavers were quickly catching up them and Dick began considering flight. His horse tumbled down a sand dune as a spear was thrown into its behind. Dick jumped and broke into a run as soon as he hit the ground. Naturally, he stumbled slightly but straightened up and made a mad dash. He took off his black cloak and tied it around his waist. Dick pulled off the bandages around his torso and spread out his white wings. He jumped into the air and flapped his wings once.**

**"Don't let him go!" said Count Vertigo.**

**They threw a bolo at him and it wrapped around his wings and waist. Dick crash landed in the sand and sat up just as the slavers threw a net over him. The slavers began walking towards him and Dick let out a psychic blast. It pushed him back and the slavers stepped out of the way. Dick was too tired to release another psychic blast and he was even more tangled in the net.**

**"Imagine what they'll pay for a Draconian! The rarest species in all of Gaea... He might be the most valuable slave we've ever had," said Count Vertigo.**

**Dick clawed his fingers around the net and glared at Count Vertigo. He was hurled over Bane's shoulder and put over the back of a horse to be taken to market. All he could do was think of Zatanna...**


	8. Chapter 7: Slavery

A Magician in Gaea: Return of the Mistress of Magic

Chapter 7:

Slavery

Dick opened his eyes to find himself in a slave wagon. His neck and wrists were shackled together and so were his ankles. Across from him, Barbara was biting at her own chains and her gums were bleeding from the effort. Her cheek was filled with mouth blood and she spat it out along with a tooth.

"Barbara... stop that... you'll be toothless if you continue," Dick said.

"Lord Dick!" Barbara exclaimed "You're awake!"

She got to her feet and walked over to him. She fell to her knees beside him and checked his neck from the bruise of being strangled. Barbara was wearing a raggedy old dress and Dick was wearing a raggedy old t-shirt and trousers.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"The Slave Market," Barbara said "They wish to sell us,"

Dick tugged at his chains and tried to stand but his legs were too weak. He fell to his elbows and knees and panted. His wings were barely concealed with a bandage only to keep them back temporarily. His feathers floated around him which hadn't happened since his wings became permanently extended. They were tipped with blood from extended trauma to them and the amateur way they were tied back was the most painful way possible. These people wanted to sell a rare species but didn't care what condition it was in.

Dick tried to summon a psychic blast only to find his powers blocked. He clawed at the shackle around his neck to find it was some kind of collar with energy he didn't recognize. Barbara got on her knees beside him and lifted his face. There was a cut on his cheek that was steadily bleeding. Before he could do anything, she licked his wound and rubbed it with the back of her wrist.

"Here's a tip about civilization," Dick said "Domesticated people don't lick to clean wounds,"

Barbara looked at him and took the lesson to heart. She wanted to be a part of society but she did spend 11 years in the wild. The door to the cage was opened and Bane walked in. He picked them both up over his shoulder and took them outside. The sudden light was harsh on their eyes and they were rubbing them when they were put down to be sold. Dick squinted and saw Count Vertigo chain his and Barbara's wrists together.

"Who will give me 100 gold pieces for this girl? She'll look after your animals and make a descent hunting hound," Count Vertigo said to the crowd.

Barbara growled at him and tried to attack but she pulled Dick along. She bit at them all and acted more feral. The crowd didn't look confident she wouldn't kill them.

"How about this? Buy the boy and get the girl free! Why you should buy the boy?" Count Vertigo asked and nodded at Bane.

Bane and a man known as Icicle, Sr. walked over and undid the bandages. Dick's back ached but was relieved for his wings to be unrestrained. They pulled his bleeding wings out to their full extent and people gasped.

"A Draconian?! They're exstinct! This is a hoax," someone shouted and everyone began complaining.

"We guarantee this boy is a descendant of the Dragon clan!" Count Vertigo said "Observe... fly, boy!"

Dick was refusing but Icicle, Sr. used some kind of ice magic and forced him into flapping. He didn't have the strength to fly properly but he was forced to bend over and show the slave owners his flapping wings. People were astounded and instantly began bidding at 10'000 gold pieces. Dick fell to his knees and Barbara knelt beside him. She protectively put her arms around him and glared at the people bidding for them. Dick's strength was severely depleted and he needed to rest. It took a lot of strength to hold Draconian power.

"We're up to 10'00'000 gold pieces, do we have 20'00'000?"

The auction was going quickly and the price was going up. Barbara was putting them off but the rarety of a Draconian was too much to pass up. The wind picked up and Dick's blood-tipped feathers were blown into the crowd. Everyone tried to grab one but they floated out of their greedy hands and into the air.

Dick looked at them all with cold, dead, eyes and a stone face. Barbara glared at them all with hatred. Dick's eyes began to close and he passed out in Barbara's arms. When someone won the bidding and came up to collect them, she growled and clawed at them.

* * *

Zatanna was curled up and crying over the loss of Dick. Zach rubbed his neck and didn't know what to do to comfort his cousin. Lena was perched on the top of a boulder in hope of seeing them on the horizon. Timmy looked at the mark around his wrist from Dick vowing to protect him. He couldn't help but think it was his fault. Dick was trying to protect him like he Dragon Vowed to do.

"What can we do? This is my fault," Timmy said.

"We find them! We have to!" Lena said, jumping down to them "Lord Dick's my big brother! He raised me when Gotham was destroyed! I would have died of malnutrition or starvation or thirst if it wasn't for him!"

"Lena, I see why you're so eager to save them but how?" Zatanna asked, looking up at her.

"I don't know! But, we have to! Lord Dick's our king! The Last Dragon King of Gotham!" Lena shouted "He saved the world for crying out loud and he... he kept me even when it caused him strife," and tears began to run down her cheeks.

Lena fell to her knees and cried into her hands. Zatanna shuffled over to her and comforted her.

* * *

** Sorry for not updating sooner.**


	9. Chapter 8: Alone

A Magician in Gaea: Return of the Mistress of Magic

Chapter 8:

Alone

_...7 years ago..._

Lena lay down, curled up in a blanket, underneath the steps of a tavern. It was raining and the fur of her tail stood on end. She heard the pitterpattering of someone running through the puddles and she looked up. Dick fell to his knees and poked his head under the steps.

"This is all I could get, Lena, but it's better than nothin'," he said, opening a satchel between them and taking out a bread roll.

He took out a pocket knife and cut it in-half for them to share. Lena reached out from within her blanket and began nibbling the bread with her sharp little teeth. Dick was about to take a bite of the bread roll himself when he decided to reach over and scratch her between her furry ears.

"Those inn keepers woulda let you stay in that inn if it wasn't for me..." Lena whimpered "No one likes Cat People... do you?"

"Lena, you're my little sister. Of course I do! I'll never abandon you," Dick said "So, is our stuff okay?"

Lena pulled out his family sword from behind her and passed it to him. Dick smiled at it since it was the only thing they could salvage from the ruins of the castle. Lena coughed, reached out and wrapped her arms around Dick's neck. She was sleepy and she didn't want to sleep under there. Dick put the food in the satchel and the bag of their few belongings over his narrow shoulders and crawled out from underneath the steps. He pulled Lena out with him and carried her in his arms with the blanket wrapped around her to keep her warm. She clutched to him with her eyes squeezed shut.

* * *

_ON HIATUS_


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